Best of

the Twin Cities

Best Venue to Close

Mill City Nights

Mill City Nights appeared doomed from opening night. In 2012, the downtown Minneapolis venue then known as the Brick debuted with a logistically disastrous Jane’s Addiction show. Things eventually got better for the property owned by global entertainment giant AEG, though. The remodeled and rebranded space reopened four months later as Mill City Nights, a name that couldn’t help but feel pandering given its L.A.-based parent company. But with a capacity around 1,200, the underrated concert hall fit neatly between nearby clubs First Avenue (1,600) and Fine Line Music Cafe (769), carving out a niche catering to mid-level metal, pop-punk, and rap acts. “We’ve spent the last year trying to build it up, and I think we’ve made some great strides at turning this place around, so we’re very sad to call it quits,” general manager Chris Olson told City Pages, blaming the closure on finances. Something called Music Hall Minneapolis is supposedly taking MCN’s place, though its rollout has been head-scratching.